Iron Mountain Mine

The Iron Mountain Mine is a copper and zinc mine located in Shasta county, California at an elevation of 3,100 feet.

About the MRDS Data:

All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.

Mine Info

Satelite View

MRDS mine locations are often very general, and in some cases are incorrect. Some mine remains have been covered or removed by modern industrial activity or by development of things like housing. The satellite view offers a quick glimpse as to whether the MRDS location corresponds to visible mine remains.

Site Name

Primary: Iron Mountain Mine

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Zinc
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Iron
Secondary: Gold
Secondary: Platinum

Location

State: California
County: Shasta
District: West Shasta Copper-Zinc District

Land Status

Land ownership: Private
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Iron Mountain Mines, Inc.
Years: 1985 -

Production

Year: 1947
Time Period: 1897-1947
Material type: CU
Description: Cp_Grade: ^2-5% Zn, 7.5% Cu, 1 Oz/Ton Ag, 0.04 Oz/Ton Au
Year: 1947
Time Period: 1897-1947
Material type: CU
Description: Cp_Grade: ^3.5% Zn, 2% Cu, 1 Oz/Ton Ag, 0.02 Oz/Ton Au
Year: 1947
Time Period: 1897-1947
Material type: CU
Description: Cp_Grade: ^3.5% Cu, 0.04 Oz/Ton Ag, 0.001 Oz/Ton Au

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1897
Year Last Production: 1962
Discovery Year: 1865
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: L

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Pacific Border Province
Physiographic Section: Klamath Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Massive sulfide, kuroko

Orebody

Name: BRICK FLAT
Form: LENTICULAR

Name: RICHMOND
Form: LENTICULAR

Name: MATTIE
Form: LENTICULAR

Name: HORNET
Form: LENTICULAR

Structure

Type: R
Description: Folds

Type: L
Description: Major Post-Mineral Faults Are Scott, Camden, And J Faults; The Camden Also Had Premineral Movement. Scott Fault Zone Is 3-5 Ft Wide With Many Anastomosing Slickensides And Dark-Gray To White Gouge. Scott Is A Normal Fault, Dipping 50ne, With 250 Ft Dip-Slip Displacement. Camden Fault Zone Is 50 Ft Wide At 2,600 Ft Level.

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Hydrothermal Pyritization, Silicification

Rocks

Name: Shale
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Devonian

Name: Shale
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Early Devonian

Name: Shale
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Early Devonian

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Covellite
Ore: Antlerite
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Ilmenite
Ore: Greenockite
Ore: Magnetite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Hematite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Pyrrhotite
Ore: Sulfur
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Location): LOCATION GIVEN IS MINE SYMBOL NEAR CENTER SEC. 34 SURROUNDED BY DUMPS

Comment (Commodity): PYRITE AND CHALCOPYRITE FOUND IN APPROXIMATELY EQUAL AMOUNTS. PLATINUM REPORTED IN SMELTER RETURNS FROM IRON MOUNTAIN (EILERS, 1913)

Comment (Production): CUMULATIVE COPPER PRODUCTION ENTRIES ARE FOR FLOTATION PLANT, COPPER ORE OF OLD MINE OREBODY, DISSEMINATED COPPER

Comment (Development): SILVER DISCOVERED IN GOSSAN IN 1879. MINED FOR SULFUR DURING LATE 1950'S TO 1962. IN 1985 IRON MOUNTAINS MINES, INC. BEGAN ENGINEERING STUDIES FOR A $20 MILLION IN-SITU MINING OPERATION DESIGNED TO RECOVER CU, ZN, AND PRECIOUS METALS

Comment (Workings): OPEN PIT

Comment (Geology): THICK COVER OF SHALE LIES STRATIGRAPHICALLY ABOVE DEPOSIT

Comment (Deposit): MASSIVE SULFIDE IS MOST ABUNDANT, DISSEMINATED CHALCOPYRITE AND QUARTZ-CHALCOPYRITE VEINS IN SCHCISTOSE ROCKS ARE LESS ABUNDANT. THERE ARE 8 MASSIVE SULFIDE BODIES IN MINE AREA; DIMENSIONS ARE FOR THE BRICK FLAT, RICHMOND, HORNET, AND MATTIE ORE BODIES ONLY. OVERALL DEPOSIT LENGTH FOR THESE ORE BODIES IS 3500 FT.

References

Reference (Deposit): KINKEL, A.R., HALL, W.E., AND ALBERS, J.P., 1956, GEOLOGY AND BASE-METAL DEPOSITS OF WEST SHASTA COPPER-ZINC DISTRICT, SHASTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 285, P. 117-129.

Reference (Deposit): EILERS, A., 1913, RARE METALS IN BLISTER COPPER: AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING ENGINEERS TRANSACTIONS, V. 47, P. 217-218.

Reference (Production): KINKEL AND OTHERS, 1956, P. 118; SEG FIELD TRIP NOTES

Reference (Reserve-Resource): SEG FIELD TRIP NOTES

Reference (Deposit): NOTES PROVIDED FOR SOCIETY OF ECONOMIC GEOLOGISTS KLAMATH MOUNTAINS FIELD TRIP, OCTOBER 7-13, 1984.

Reference (Deposit): KINKEL, A.R., AND ALBERS, J.P., 1951, GEOLOGY OF THE MASSIVE SULFIDE DEPOSITS AT IRON MOUNTAIN, SHASTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF MINES SPECIAL REPORT 14, 19 P.

Reference (Deposit): CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY, 1986, MINERAL INDUSTRY OF CALIFORNIA, 1985: CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY, V. 39, P. 93.

California Gold

"Where to Find Gold in California" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in California. Read more: Where to Find Gold in California.